Carrie Underwood Not Quitting ‘American Idol’ Despite ‘Very Hard’ Time Away From Family

Despite reports to the contrary, Carrie Underwood isn’t giving up on American Idol just yet.

A source told Life & Style Magazine that the country star is committed to the gig for the long haul, but it’s been hard being away from her husband Mike Fisher, and their kids for such long stretches of time.

“She’s on the road a lot. She’s missing her kids and Mike, which is very tough,” the source noted. “They FaceTime day and night and she flies home every spare moment she gets, but it’s not the same as just being there.”

Underwood rose to fame after winning the fourth season of Idol, and is arguably the biggest music star to emerge from the series. She is the highest-certified female country artist of all time, has the most #1 country singles of any female artist, and has won eight Grammy Awards.

It makes sense that judging the show is a dream job for her in many ways. The source told L&S that the job is “emotional” for her and “really beautiful because she’s able to connect with so many people and know exactly what they’re going through.” But the job also takes a toll on her mental state.

“At the end of the shoot day, she’s always totally drained from the highs and lows and just goes back to her hotel room to crash,” the source said. “Those nights can be very hard because she just wants to be in Mike’s arms or reading bedtime stories to her kids and instead all she can do is see them through a phone screen.”

Still, her feelings on the job outweigh the negatives, according to the insider.

“She loves doing the show. Not only is it a huge opportunity and a massive paycheck, it’s also really fun,” the insider said. “She loves working with the guys and the whole crew has been so great. Her biggest joy is helping the contestants through a really bewildering experience.”